Trap.



No. 884.380. PATENTED APR. 14, 1908. I

R. F. HADLEY.

TRAP. APPLICATION FILED JULY 6, 1907.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT OFFICE.

RICHARD F. HADLEY, OF SLICKER, WEST VIRGINIA.

TRAP.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, RICHARD F. HADLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Slicker, in the county of Tyler and State of West Virginia, have invented a new and useful Trap, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has relation to traps and it consists in the novel construction and arrangement of its parts as hereinafter shown and described.

The object of the invention is to rovide a trap especially adapted to be used or catching rats and similar animals and it operates in such a manner as not to wound the animal and to catch several at a time.

The trap consists primarily of a base or platform, the upper surface of which is covered with sheet metal. A cage is mounted upon the platform and consists of end pieces provided with projecting points which are driven into the base, and shoulders which are forced against the side of a base and over which staples are passed which are driven into the base. The base is perforated approximately at its middle and is provided under the metal top thereof with a channel leading from said perforation to the end of the base. A pin 1s located transversely of the perforation and a trigger of peculiar configuration is mounted upon the pin. A rod is pivotally attached at one end to said trigger and passes through said channel and terminates in the vicinity of the end thereof. A spring actuated door is adapted to close one end of the cage. Said door swings upwardly and is provided at its'upper edge with a notch which is adapted to receive the free end of said rod. A catch is mounted upon the cage and is adapted to engage the edge of y the door for the urpose of holding the same positively in a c osed position.

In the accom anying drawing:Figure 1 is a longitudina sectional view of the trap. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the'trap partly in section. Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view of the tra and Fig. 4 is a detailed perspective view 0 a portion of the trap.

The tra consists of the base 1, the upper surface of which is covered by a pieceof sheet metal 2. The base 1 is provided at or near its middle with a perforation 3 and is provided in its top and under the sheet 2 with a groove 4 which extends from the said perforation to the end of the base. The trigger 5 is made of wire and is provided with the sub- Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filedJuly 6, 1907.

Patented April 14, 1908.

Serial No. 382,483.

pivotally-attached at one end to the lower end of the portion 7 of the trigger 5 and lies within the groove 4. The rod 10 is longer than the said groove although as the trigger 5 is swung upon the pivot pin 9 the end of the said rod is drawn within the said groove.

The cage 11 is mounted upon the base 1 and consists of the end frame wires 12 and 13 each of which is provided with the shoulders 14 and each of which has its end driven into the base 1 with the shoulders resting directly against the top of the said base. The staples 15 are passed over the said shoulders and are also drlven into the base. The frame wire 13 is provided at its lower portion with the loops 16 in which the door 17 is pivoted. The coil spring 18 bears at one end against the base 1 and at its opposite end against the door 17 and is under tension with a tendency to hold the said door closed against the frame 13. v The upper or outer edge of the door 17 is provided with a bowed portion 19 which, when the door is open, lies beyond the end of the base 1 and is adapted to receive the end of the rod 10. The latch 20-is mounted upon the cage 11 and is adapted to engage the free edge of the door 17 when the same is closed against the frame 13 and positively holds the same in closed position. i

From the foregoing description it is obvious that when the door 17 is open and the end of the rod 10 is inserted into the portion 19 that the said door will be held open against the tension of the spring 18. A suitable bait is then applied to the end portion 6 of the trigger 5. Thus the trap is set and in guiding or moving the rod 10 into engagement with the portion 19 of the door 17 the finger may be inserted in the perforation 3 and into engagement with the end of the said 'rod. It is obvious that the rod may be projected to a greater or less degree across the portion 19 of the door 17, thus, a trigger mechanism is provided which may be so adjusted as to require great or slight stress to operate the same. The solid lines in Fig. 1 of the drawing it When the door 17 is held open as above deagainst the frame 13 of the cage.

scribed the animals one or more in number will enter the cage 11 and seize the bait impaled j the rod 10 is moved longitudinally, whereby,

its free end is disengaged from the bowed portion 19 of the door 17 and the spring 18,

eing under tension will close the said door Should an animal'be on the door at the time that it is closing the animal will be forced or carried into the cage 11. In entrapping the animal it will be seen that they are not mutilated or wounded and thus the tra will not become blood tainted which woulrv revent successful operation of the same at uture times.

Having described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters- Patent is 1. A trap comprising a base having a perforation and a groove leading from said perforation to its edge, a trigger pivoted in said perforation, a rod pivoted to said trigger and traversing the length of the groove of said base, a cage mounted upon the base and inclosing one end of said trigger and a spring actuated door adapted to close said cage and having an end adapted to be engaged by the rod for holding the door open against the tension of its spring.

2. A trap comprising a base, a trigger mechanism and retaining rod mounted thereon and operatively connected together, a cage mounted upon the base and having frame wires provided with shoulders, the ends of said wires being driven into the base and the shoulders bearing against the surface of the base, staples passing over said shoulders and entering the base and a spring actuated door pivotally connected with one of the frame wires and adapted to be engaged by the retainer rod whereby it is held open against the tension of the spring.

3. A trap comprising a base, a trigger pivT otally mounted thereon, a retainer rod operatively connected with the trigger, a cage mounted upon the base, a spring actuated door adapted to close the cage and being hinged thereto, said door having at its free edge a bowed portion which, when the door is open lies beyond the edge of the base and which receives the retainer rod whereby the door is held open against the tension of its spring.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

' RICHARD F. HADLEY.

\Vitnesses:

C. L. HENDERSON. J. E. MARTIN. 

